A Hundred Shades of Gray
by XxNeONxX
Summary: Behind the glass walls and manicured lawns of Teikoku academy, the students have much to hide. Especially secrets that have been kept hidden for three long years. With an anonymous classmate set out on a roaring rampage of revenge looking only to spill more blood, all the Teikoku boys can do is to give in and play their cards safe.


Disclaimer: I own Nothing.

* * *

English names:

Sakuma Jirou- David Hart.

Kidou Yutto- Jude Sharp.

Genda Kijirou- Joseph King.

Fudou Aiko- Caleb Stonewall

Jimon- Jonathan

* * *

**A HUNDRED SHADES OF GRAY**

* * *

Imagine it's one of those first days of summer. You're sitting at your breakfast table carefully spooning out cereal into a plate. And then you reach for the milk carton but stop suddenly noticing a faded black and white photo of a young boy on the side. Beneath it is one word: MISSING.

Now imagine you know this boy. That you practically grew up together, learning to crawl in each others kitchens and he helped get rid of your baby sitter. You glance again at the photo. The boy's cute. Probably even better looking than you. Maybe he liked cherry cereal, too. And then you wonder how someone so…. so much like you could go missing.

You'd think that only rock star's kids went missing who'd all be rich and famous. Well, think again.

* * *

_Got a secret, Can you keep it?_

_Swear this one you'll save._

_Better lock it in your pocket,_

_Takin' this one to the grave._

_If I show you, then I know you_

_Won't tell what I said._

_'Cause two can keep a secret_

_If one of them is dead._

* * *

David Hart buried his face in the freshly manicured soccer field of Teikoku academy and inhaled deeply.

"Do you seriously smell the grass?" A voice came from behind him.

David rolled over on his back and grinned at his friend Jonathan who stood a few feet away looking at him curiously.

"It smells like the summer." David admitted. He sat up pushing his long blue tinted hair out of his eyes and regarded the boys warming up around the field. After the Neil incident most of his former friends had dropped out of the soccer team. Only Him, Jonathan and Caleb remained of the original Royal Challengers_._

Joseph, being the hypocrite that he was, had switched to basketball. Or baseball. Or track running. He didn't seem to be able to stick to one thing for long. It was Neil who'd kept him fixed on soccer for so long.

And Jude had pretty much vanished since then. He'd said he was moving to Okinawa, not that David would actually believe anything he said anymore.

David shook his head, why was he thinking all this now? Wasn't the whole point of still playing soccer to not think? It's over, he told himself, and it didn't matter anymore. It's been three years. Three.

"Dave!"

David jumped.

"Dude, pay attention to the game." Jonathan snapped, dodging past him. David sighed and started after him not being able to admit to himself that soccer had barely held any of his attention since one of his best friends had died due to this very game three years ago.

* * *

Jude Sharp didn't know what to expect when he stepped into the Teikoku campus after almost three years away. Nothing seemed to have changed- the campus was the same, vaguely familiar faces would glance his way every few minutes but he shrugged it away.

Unconsciously, he almost made his way towards the soccer field but stopped himself just in time to turn back and head towards English. A large display in the hallway caught his attention. Stout, scented candles burned around a large photo of a young boy framed by several small ones. Beneath it, an address to the students: _Teikoku academy would like to take the beginning of another year to pay tribute to one of its own, Neil Khan-_

The name hit Jude like a kick in the gut. It seemed to suck all the air out of him as a wave of sweet and sour memories hit him together. He turned away, trying to clear his head and ran into a wall. A very surprised wall which jumped back and yelled, "Hey! Watch it!"

* * *

Aisha Graham couldn't believe she'd see his face ever again. It was like a thin glass wall she'd been building the past three years had suddenly cracked and fell apart leaving her vulnerable and weak.

"Jude." She whispered as though he was a mirage and anything louder would shatter him.

"Aisha- hey." The brunette looked just as much surprised. He glanced away as though looking at her hurt his eyes and Aisha could feel something inside her break a little.

"What- you're back. Why-" Her stuttering was interrupted by a loud crash behind Jude. Her mist-gray eyes traveled past him and widened in shock as the whole display came crashing to the ground. The photo frame broke into a thousand pieces- glass splinters flying everywhere. She instinctively turned away, closing her eyes.

She felt the heat of flames lick her heel and realized that the banister must have caught on fire due to the candles. She opened her eyes just in time to see the picture of the boy she had once loved more than her own life being burned to ashes.

* * *

Jude pulled the Aisha away just as the fire started spreading to the walls. He saw teachers push past the throng of students who'd gathered around spraying away with fire hydrants. After a split second of confusion they had the fires put out and were asking the students to move away.

"You okay?" He asked Aisha as he led her away from the swirling mass of students towards where he imagined his class would be. The girl nodded though her long black hair fell around her face and he couldn't really tell.

Jude felt the sickening feeling in his gut tighten as he remembered the flames wasting away what remained of his long lost friend.

"Aisha! Aisha! Hey!" A girl's voice rose over the din in the hallway. Mona Collins came running through the crowd towards where her friend stood but stopped abruptly when she saw him.

"Mona! Are you okay?" Aisha's voice startled the girl out of her shock. She nodded and asked, "You?"

"I'm okay," Aisha muttered though she looked pale and shaking. She pushed away from Jude and tugged at Mona's sleeve, "Come on. Let's go to class."

Mona tore her eyes away from the boy and followed her friend absently though her mind was pacing a thousand miles an hour.

Jude Sharp of all people to come back to Teikoku, what could possibly bring him back? Mona wondered, though she did know one thing- If all four remaining of the Fab Five were back in one place, then this was going to be one hell of a semester.

* * *

Joseph breathed in the air in the hallway with a mixture of relief and alarm. It smelled of smoke and ashes and dingy cafeteria food. Though he had been in the gym when the fire happened, he still couldn't rid himself of the growing apprehension in his gut. If the fire had been any larger he could've died, the school whose classrooms he had grown up in could have been burned to the ground. Of course, he would have made jokes about not having to wake up at six am anymore with his friends but deep down he knew the fire made him realize something.

Teikoku was like a second home to him. If he had been a little closer to his parents, then maybe he wouldn't cling to his school so much. Or that's what the school counselor had told him anyway.

He slammed his locker door shut and he made his way to English class only to be greeted by an unnerving silence.

"Mr. King," their teacher regarded him with beady eyes, his thick mustache twitching with amusement, "How nice of you to join us."

Joseph gave him a half-hearted grin and slid into the only empty seat left. The silence wasn't because of the presence of their fat, infuriating teacher but because of a whole other reason he realized when he saw who was sitting besides him.

It had been Neil's seat. To Joseph's left, by the window so he could glance down at the soccer field or watch the rain trickle down the windowpane. It had been eerily empty for a long time but no more.

Jude Sharp grinned at his former best friend, "Joseph, thought you'd finally grow out of your bad habit of always being the last one."

Joseph fought down the nausea his sight brought up and grinned back, "I was wondering when I'd hear from you."

Jude turned back to the board his face unreadable, "I wanted to make sure we're still cool."

Joseph ran a hand through his messy, unmanageable hair and replied, "It's been three years. It doesn't matter anymore."

"Well, I'm back now. It matters more than ever."

* * *

Caleb Stonewall wouldn't have imagined that this year would be any different that the past three had been. A dull, monotonous routine to follow everyday till the last bell rang and he would finally be allowed to go home.

This morning however, he had almost been run over by Mona's car in the parking lot- not that she didn't have reason enough to kill him. The school hallway nearly burned to ashes and Jude Sharp had suddenly decided to grace Teikoku with his return. The last one had nearly thrown Caleb off his rocker and few things could manage to do that. The boy ran a hand through his short, red hair which had grown since he decided to get rid of his Mohawk. As he passed the burned banister in the hallway, he paused to admire the handiwork of whoever had been responsible for the fire.

Neil Khan might have been a popular heartthrob in his day but he had more than his fair share of enemies. Caleb being one of them, though he had been a part of Neil's cult. There were few things Caleb hated more that the bright eyed brunette who'd decided to kick him out of the soccer club. And Caleb was not an idiot to believe the fire to be an accident, that too on the day of the return of Jude Sharp.

But he found more than he had bargained for. Over the burnt and fire-stained wall with the peeling wallpaper written in ash gray –Neil's colour- were the words:

_Sleep tight, Bitches. While you still can. Neil is back to claim his throne. –N8_

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A/N: Inspired by Sara Shepherd's Pretty Little Liars. Expect much drama; I've been in the mood lately. Oh, and if you were wondering, this is NOT a ghost-fic. Neil is very much dead, be glad. Be very glad for that. Review!


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